Supporting device



Oct. 8, 199163 R. A. GUEASON 3,106,390

fSUP-PORTING DEVICE Fimefi Oct. so, 1962 INVENTOR.

ROBERT A. GLEASON ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,106,390 SUPPORTINGDEVICE Robert A. Gleason, 2249 Northland Ave, Lakewood, Ohio Filed Oct.30, 1962, Ser. No. 234,076 3 Claims. (Cl. 269254) This invention relatesto needle-working devices for holding cloth, leather or any othersimilar type of material while a sewing, embroidering, or toolingoperation is performed thereon.

The object of this invention is to provide a needle-work device that isdesigned for extreme simplicity of operation and more particularly, foruse by a person who has been handicapped by the loss of the use of onehand.

The preferred embodiment is described below in connection with theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the device showing the hoop in itsmaterial-clamping position.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the device, showing the hoop in a positionwhich allows material to be placed over the work support.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the hoop in its normal position.

FIG. 4 is a partial plan View of the hoop, on enlarged scale, showingthe hoop expanded.

FIG. 5 is a view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the needlework device comprises a worksupport 11 which is firmly fastened to one leg 12 of the L-shaped base13. A hoop 14 is attached to the other leg 15 of the base 13 by a hinge16, which allows the hoop 14 to be swung into and out of a worksupport-encircling position.

The upper end of the work support 11 is formed into a convex workingsurface 17. This working surface terminates at a cut-away portion 18 anda flange 19, both of which encircle the work support.

The hoop, when in its work support-encircling position, is normallyadapted to engage the work support about the cut-away portion 18 and besupported by the flange 19.

The convex working surface 17 makes practical the use of ordinarystraight needles or tools to sew, embroider or tool design on or in thematerial using only one hand for the entire operation. However, theinvention is not limited to a convex working surface since this surfacemay be of any shape, curvature or contour desired.

As shown in FIGS. '3-5, the hoop is a split metal band 21, having a pairof handles 22 that are attached to and extend from each end thereof. Acoil spring 23 is also attached between the ends of the band 21 andarranged to contract the hoop. When the hoop is in the FIG. 1 position,the spring 23 causes hoop 14 to clamp the material being worked againstthe work support 11. The handles 22 are arranged so that when they arepressed toward one another, the band 21 expands against the bias of thespring 23. This expansion allows the hoop to be lifted clear of theworking surface -17 as shown in FIG. 2.

The hinge 16 is brazed to the hoop 14 and is pivoted about the leg '15of the base 13. The hinge 16 is provided a with expansion loop 16' whichallows limited, linear, relative movement between the hoop and the leg15. This relative movement compensates for variations in the thicknessof the needlework materials which can be used with this device. 1

It should be noted that the cross-sectional shape of the work supportand of the hoop are not critical. In fact,

as long as there is sufficient correspondence between the shape of thehoop and the shape of the Work support to permit clamping of thematerial to be worked, the work support and the hoop can assume anynumber of different shapes depending on the use to which the device isput.

The operation of this device is extremely simple and within thecapabilities of a person who is handicapped by the loss of the use ofone hand. When the handles 22 are pressed together, the hoop can belifted clear of the work support 1 1. The material to be worked is thenplaced over the working surface 17 and the hoop 14 brought back to theFIG. 1 position in which it abuts the flange 19. The handles 22 are nowreleased, thus allowing spring 23 to contract hoop l4 and clamp thematerial tautly over the convex working surface 17 Thereafter, anysewing operation can easily be performed with an ordinary straightneedle.

As stated previously, the drawing and the description relate only to thepreferred embodiment of the invention. Since many changes can be made inthe structure of this embodiment without departing from the inventiveconcept, the following claims should provide the sole measure of thescope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A needlework-securing device comprising a. a base plate;

b. a work support connected with the base plate and having a convexworking surface and a cylindrical clamping surface;

c. a material-clamping band comprising a split hoop conforming generallyto the contour of the clamping surface of the work support;

d. hinge means connecting the band with the base plate and permittingpivotal movement of the band relatively to the base plate between anactive position in which the band surrounds the clamping surface of thework support and an inactive position in which the band is clear of thework support so that needlework can be laid on or removed from theworking surface; and

e. means forming an integral part of the hoop to expand and contract thehoop.

2. The needlework-securing device defined in claim 1 in which the meansfor expanding and contracting the hoop includes a. a springinterconnecting the ends of the hoop and arranged to contract the hoop;and

b. a handle attached to each end of the hoop, the handles being soarranged that when they are pressed toward each other the hoop isexpanded.

3. The needlework frame defined in claim 1 in which the connectionbetween the base and the hoop also per- 5 mits relative linear movementtherebetween in a direction normal to the axis of the hinge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS219,025 Skardon Aug. 26, 1879 892,961 Kohler July 7, 1908 963,085 SmithJuly 5, 1910 1,473,622 Gosch Nov. 13, 1923 FOREIGN PATENTS 579,740Germany Apr. 5, 193 1

1. A NEEDLEWORK-SECURING DEVICE COMPRISING A. A BASE PLATE; B. A WORKSUPPORT CONNECTED WITH THE BASE PLATE AND HAVING A CONVEX WORKINGSURFACE AND A CYLINDRICAL CLAMPING SURFACE; C. A MATERIAL-CLAMPING BANDCOMPRISING A SPLIT HOOP CONFORMING GENERALLY TO THE CONTOUR OF THECLAMPING SURFACE OF THE WORK SUPPORT; D. HINGE MEANS CONNECTING THE BANDWITH THE BASE PLATE AND PERMITTING PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE BANDRELATIVELY TO THE BASE PLATE BETWEEN AN ACTIVE POSITION IN WHICH THEBAND SURROUNDS THE CLAMPING SURFACE OF THE WORK SUPPORT AND AN INACTIVEPOSITION IN WHICH THE BAND IS CLEAR OF THE WORK SUPPORT SO THATNEEDLEWORK CAN BE LAID ON OR REMOVED FROM THE WORKING SURFACE; AND E.MEANS FORMING AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE HOOP TO EXPAND AND CONTRACT THEHOOP.